Radio dial display device



March 9, 1948. M. RAMSAY 2,437,306

, RADIO DIAL msrmy DEVICE Filed Dec. 12, 1944 INVENTOR. MART/N RAMSA YBYM/(EWM Patented Mar. 9, 19.48

UNITED STATES PATENT'OFFICE' Martin Ramsay, Houston, Tex.

Application December 12, 1944, Serial No.7567,883

This invention relates to a device for selectively presenting displaysurfaces, and more particularly to a device for presenting such surfacesin coordination with mechanism settings. In particular, the invention isconcerned with the settings of a, multiple contact switch or othermultiple setting mechanism and display surfaces coordinated therewithand bearing information relative to the respective settings;

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device thatwillavoid confusion incident to simultaneous multiple dial displays.

Another and more specific object is to provide a device which presents asingle display surface or portion of a display surface indicative of thesetting of a multiple contact switch or other multiple setting mechanismco-ordinated therewith.

The foregoing objects together with other objects will be more apparentfrom a consideration of the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a radio cabinet in whichthe device of the invention is incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken online 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a multiple contact switch which isillustrative of a multiple setting unit that constitutes an element ofthe invention, the view being taken of line 4-5 in Fig.2.

The invention may be utilized in such environments as multiple rangeelectrical instruments such as ammeters, voltmeters, and so forth,mechanical setting indications for devices which are remotely controlledelectrically, or the invention may be used in radio devices such asreceivers to provide wave band settings, switch transfer among amplitudemodulation, frequency modulation, television, and so forth. For purposesof illustration, the invention is herein described in connection with anall-wave receiver. However, it is to be understood that such disclosureis intended to be illustrative only, inasmuch as the invention may beembodied in any device utilizing the principles as disclosed in thepreferred embodiment of the invention.

The invention as shown in the preferred embodiment of the drawingscomprises a radio cabinet I having an opening 2 therein permittingvisibility of a rotatable drum 3 having a positive drive connectionthrough bevel gears 4 to a multiple 2 Claims. (01. 116-1241) positionswitch 5, so that there may be co-ordinated action of the drum and theswitch upon rotation of the shaft 6, to which the knob 'l is attachedexteriorly of the cabinet I.

The opening 2 is provided with a suitable transparent windowifl, whichhas an arcuate inner surface adjacent which the drum 3 rotates. Apointer l l'is movable adjacent the window) by a mechanism which is notshown, but in a manner that is well known in the art, so that wavelength settings of the receiver in which the device is embodied areindicated.

The drum 3 is preferably polygonal in cross section to provide facesthat may be of a suitable color or upon which may be placed indicia suchas numerals and graduations l2 and I3. This drum is made of a'materialhaving sufficient light transmission properties that information carriedby the drum is made visible through the window ID by virtue of a lightl4 mounted within the drum.

End members I5 and I6 on the drum 3 provide a rotatable support for thedrum upon supports l1 and I8 within the cabinet I. The end member i5fits slidably upon the reduced inner end of a tubular journal member I9secured in support IT. This journal member also supports the elongatedlam member l4 within the drum, conductors 20 passing through the openingin the shaft to the base of the lamp [4.

The opposite end, l6, of the drum 3 is attached to a stub shaft 2|,journaled in the support l8 and to which the bevel gear 22 is secured.This gear in turn meshes with the bevel gear 23 secured to the shaft 6.

Mounted upon the inner end of the shaft 6 is an arm 25 which carries acontactor 26 adapted to selectively engage any of the pairs of contacts21, 28 or 29, such pairs of contacts being shown as three in number forpurposes of illustration.

The pairs of contacts on the switch 5 are in turn connected throughpaired conductors 30, 3| and 32 to circuits providing the desired radiofrequency bands, it being under-stood that the indicia or otherinformation presented at the window l0 pertains only to the wave orfrequency band to which the receiver is adjusted or to such othercircuit as may be affected by the particular setting of the switch 5.

In order that the drum 3 will be accurately located in a predeterminedposition adjacent the window II], a lug 35 is provided upon the interiorof the radio cabinet and attached thereto is a leaf spring 36, whichextends outwardly and engages the surface of the drum 3. A detent 31 inthe spring 33 is adapted to engage an edge formed by the intersectingfaces of the drum 3. By means of this construction the drum 3 is engagedand releasably retained in a definite position and is movable from suchposition only through positive operation of the device through therotation of the knob 1.

The operation of the device as illustrated and. above described isbelieved apparent from the foregoing description. To summarize, it willbe assumed that the setting, as shown in the draw ings, is such that thereceiver is adjusted for reception in the conventional broadcast band,The indicia and graduations visible as shown in Fig. 1, and only thisinformation, are displayed for the indicated setting. It is obvious,therefore,

that no confusion can arise as to the frequency adjustment as indicatedby the pointer I l.

If it is desired to shift to :a different frequency or wave band, thecontroller knob l is turned in either a clockwise or a counterclockwisedirection to move the switch 5 to the desired pair of switch contacts.Such rotation of the knob l synchronously drives the drum 3 so that adifferent portion of the surface thereof is presented adjacent thewindow 18, such portion bearing additional information equivalent to thenew setting of the mechanism.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a radio receiving set comprising a housing having an elongatedopening therein, the combination of an elongated dial member ofpolygona1 cross section having wave band indicia upon the respectivesurfaces thereof, end members forming closures for said dial member, a 3

shaft secured to one of the end members to rotate the dial member sothat a selected face thereof is moved in front of the elongated opening,a hollow journal member upon which the opposite end member is mounted, alight mounted upon the inner end of said journal member, and means forsupplying electrical ener through the journal member to said light.

2. In a radio receivin set comprising a housing having an elongatedopening therein, the combination of an elongated dial comprising ahollow body of translucent material and of polygonal cross section, endmembers forming closures for said dial member, driving means attached toone of said end members for rotating the dialto move a selected face infront of the elongated opening, a hollow journal member upon which theopposite end member is mounted, and

- alight mounted upon the inner end of said journal member, and meansfor supplying electrical energy through the journal member to saidlight.

MARTIN RAMSAY.

REFERENCES CITED 1 The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,052,701 De Tar Sept. 1, 19362,078,031 Emde 1 Apr. 20, 1937 2,078,270 Newman Apr. 27, 19 37 2,301,419Lew Nov. 10, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 330,682 Italy Oct.22, 1935 417,293 Great Britain Jan, 12, 1934 508,972 GreatBritain Jan.8, 1938

